A few weeks ago we rediscovered this gem of a museum park in Osprey, South Sarasota County, Florida. We had not been to visit/explore the property in many years and we were pleasantly surprised to discover how interesting and beautiful the grounds have become.

When you enter off of Tamiami Trail, you drive back a narrow drive between tall pines and forest to a small parking lot. Here you buy your entry tickets, grab a map and then explore on your own. Currently there is Clyde Butcher Photography Exhibit. They have blown up his photographs and mingled them throughout the walkway perfectly. (I did not take a pictures of his photography – you’ll have to come see it for yourself!)

The historic comes from the timeline of the history of this small jut of land into Sarasota Bay. First the indigenous people lived here as long ago as 5,000 years. This land actually became there garbage dump called a ‘midden.’ From Wikipedia- A midden (also kitchen midden or shell heap) is an old dump for domestic waste^[1] which may consist of animal bone, human excrement, botanical material, mollusc shells, potsherds, lithics (especially debitage), and other artifacts and ecofacts associated with past human occupation.

A building was created to allow you to see one of the middens.

The short story: The indigenous people left 900 AD and it wasn’t until 1867 that the Webb family came down and homesteaded this and the surrounding 140 acres. They built their home here and were farmers. They later sold parcels to other families (e.g., Blackburns) who also farmed the land and had citrus orchards.

There is an old church and packing house where the citrus was packed and shipped from this property by boat.

Their daughter married a man last name Guptill. He was a boatbuilder and they farmed as well. When they discovered artifacts on the property, they contacted the Smithsonian who sent archaeologist to study the middens all over the property. They housed the archaeologists in their home which they turned into a resort that they rented out to vacationers as well.

In 1910, Bertha Palmer from Chicago bought the property and 140,000 acres east of this land to ranch, grow citrus trees, and real estate development. She built her home called Osprey Point, developed gardens, and used the original house of the Guptill’s as a guest house. The property went into disuse/disrepair and finally the Palmer family turned it over to the Gulf Coast Heritage Association in 1980. In May 2020, Marie Shelby Botanical Gardens became the new owners of this National Historic site.

The property is beautiful and worth a visit if you are ever in the area. We had a perfect day for taking some pictures looking out at Little Sarasota Bay.

Various trees, resurrection ferns, and an aqueduct ruin from the Palmer’s era were also worth some photos.

And then there is a butterfly garden – fun to go inside and be mesmerized by how many butterfly varieties are in one place.

Last two photos are my attempt at being a Clyde Butcher photographer.

Lunch afterwards at Deep Lagoon and now home enjoying this beautiful ‘wintery’ day in Florida.